View a pdf of this year`s top 50 U.S. Optical

COVER TOPIC
Deals and Consolidation Reposition Leading Optical Retailers
BY JOHN SAILER / SENIOR EDITOR
NEW YORK—With major acquisitions, organic
growth, and new entrants in 2013, leading optical
retailers jockeyed for position among VM’s 2014 Top
50 U.S. Optical Retailers, the annual ranking of the
nation’s leading national and regional retailers and
eyecare groups. The combined impacts of the greater
availability of private equity financing, the growth of
online competition, and managed vision care’s influence resulted in renewed deal making and consolidation at many levels of this year’s rankings.
Refac, known for its leased department operations,
purchased Arizona’s Nationwide Vision in November,
U.S. Vision Care Market
intent on expanding to other
Mass
(in millions)
Merchants’
freestanding operations.
Top 10 Share
Share
Top 50 Share
$8,875.1*
$2,665.7*
$1o,374.6*
MyEyeDr continued its
acquisition pace, bringing in
33.3%
28.5%
23 additional locations. The
8.6%
fact that this activity continued into 2014 with MyEyeDr
acquiring the corporate locaTotal 2013 Market: $31,145.0**
tions of Doctors Vision Cen* VM Estimate ** Vision care products and services sold at optical retail locations. Source: VisionWatch
ter and Lords Eye Center
Data is from 12ME Dec. 2013
and KKR reportedly spending more than $1 billion on National Vision this March
New companies entering the chart also impacted
indicates that further equity funding and subsequent this year’s rankings. The most notable new entry is
consolidation are continuing into 2014 as well.
Continued on page 52
Top 10 Share of Top 50 on the Increase
NEW YORK—Sales for the 10 largest retailers on the VM Top 50 list for 2013 jumped
31 percent from an estimated $6,785.1 million in 2012 to an estimated $8,875.1 million
in 2013, substantially boosted by an additional $1,969.0 million in revenue from Vision
Source’s entry into the chart, increasing the Top 10’s share of the Top 50 from 84.1
percent in 2012 to 85.5 percent in 2013. The mass merchants’ share of the Top 50’s
estimated optical U.S. sales dropped from 31.6 percent in 2012 to 25.7 percent in 2013,
while their total estimated 2013 sales increased 4.5 percent from an estimated $2,551.4
million in 2012 to an estimated $2,665.7 million in 2013. n
Top 50 Retailers’ Sales
(in millions)
25.7%
85.5%
Total Top 50 Sales: $10,374.6*
* VM Estimate
We are changing the perception of optometry
one market and one organization at a time.
Find out how at VisionSourcePlan.com
Mass
Merchants’
Share
$2,665.7*
Data is from 12ME Dec. 2013
Top 10 Share
$8,875.1*
44
Key Optical Players Ranked by U.S. Sales in 2013
Retailer
1
2013
Rank
2012
Rank
2013 Sales
($ Millions)
1
1
Luxottica Retail
$2,336.0*
2
N
Vision Source
3
2
Wal-Mart Stores
4
3
5
6
1
2012 Sales 2013
($ Millions) Units
2012
Units
Comments
2,524
U.S. Sales estimate includes revenues from company-owned and franchised Pearle Vision stores. Retail brands: LensCrafters (878 units), Pearle
Vision (159 company-owned and 361 franchised units), Sears Optical (652
units), Target Optical (335 units), Ilori/Optical Shop of Aspen (35 units),
Oliver Peoples (8 units), Alain Mikli (5 units). All U.S. + P.R. locations.
In accordance with franchise law, Vision Source is a franchisor, and its
members are franchisees who own their respective practice. First appearance of collective revenue from 2,797 locations operated in 2013
by Vision Source’s 3,500 member optometrists.
$2,395.0*
2,433
$1,969.0
N
2,797
N
$1,476.0*
$1,450.8*
3,202*
3,149*
Visionworks of America, Inc.
$784.8
$760.1
619
586
Retail brands: Visionworks completed its national re-branding in 2013,
consolidating 16 different retail store names under the Visionworks banner.
4
National Vision, Inc.
$780.0*
$717.5*
745
715
Retail brands: America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses (370 units), The Vision Center (Walmart-227 units), Eyeglass World (69 units), Vista Optical
(Fred Meyer-30 units), National Vision (military - 48 units), other (1 unit).
Revenue figures include e-commerce.
5
Costco Wholesale
$757.0
$696.0
440
437
Retail brand: Costco Optical.
3
2
2
Retail brands: Walmart Vision Center (2,657* company-owned units),
Sam’s Club Optical (545* units).
7
6
Refac Optical Group
$236.9
$216.2
747
724
U.S. Vision store count by retail brand: JCPenney Optical (386 units),
BJ’s Optical (188 units), Sears Optical (50 units), The Optical Shop at
Meijer (50 units), Boscov’s Optical (43 units), Macy’s Optical (26 units),
other (4 units). Acquired Nationwide Vision Centers’ 64 Arizona locations, Sept. 30, 2013, to be included in next year’s unit count.
8
7
Eyemart Express, Ltd.
$220.0
$197.0
150
141
Retail brands: Dr. Barnes’ Eyemart Express (133 units), Dr. Barnes’ Vision 4 Less (14 units), Dr. Barnes Eyewear Express (2 units), Dr. Barnes’
VisionMart Express (1 unit).
9
9
For Eyes/Insight Optical Mfg.
$165.0*
$115.0*
144*
140*
Retail brand: For Eyes Optical.
10
8
Cohen’s Fashion Optical
$150.4
$142.0
126
124
All stores are franchised.
11
11
American Optical
Services
$110.9
$94.8
104
97
12
10
Texas State Optical
$104.1*
$95.5*
127
122
Retail brands: The Eye Gallery, Eyear One Hour Optical, Optical Management Systems, Mesmereyes; acquired Wabash Valley Eye, West Hills
Vision Center, The Eyewear Gallery, and Atlantic Eye Associates in 2013.
All locations independent nework affiliates.
13
14
MyEyeDr/Capital Vision
Services, LLC
$104.0
$75.0
64
41
Retail brand: MyEyeDr. Acquired 23 independent optometry locations
in 2013, including four Eyeoptix locations. While MyEyeDr recently acquired Doctors Vision Center’s 18 corporate locations in North Carolina
and Lord Eye Center’s eight locations in Georgia, their sales revenues
and unit counts are not reflected in this year’s Top 50 because the
acquisitions were made in early 2014 not 2013.
14
12
Shopko Stores Operating
Co., LLC
$91.0*
$90.0*
143
139
Retail brands: Shopko Eyecare Center (132 units), Shopko Hometown
Eyecare Center (9 units), Shopko Express Eyecare Center (2 units).
15
13
Emerging Vision, Inc.
$85.1
$87.3
118
122
Sales include revenue from company-owned and franchised stores.
Retail brands: Sterling Optical (12 company-owned and 64 franchised
units), Site for Sore Eyes (39 franchised units), Singer Specs (2 franchised units), Kindy Optical (1 franchised unit).
16
15
Eyecarecenter, ODPA
$72.5
$70.9
61
55
Sales include revenue from 25 company-owned and 36 franchised locations.
17
17
Henry Ford Optimeyes
$66.2
$61.5
17
17
Retail brands: Henry Ford Optimeyes (10 units), Henry Ford Optimeyes
Super Vision Center (7 units); acquired EyeCare One (1 unit) in Monroe,
Mich., March 2013, and renamed Henry Ford Optimeyes.
18
16
Clarkson Eyecare
19
18
SVS Vision
$64.6
$59.0
$62.7
$55.0
61
60
60
59
20
20
Luxury Optical Holdings
$53.4
$49.4
49
47
Retail brands: Optica (22 units), Morgenthal Frederics (10 units), Scene (5
units), Davante (4 units), Leonard Opticians (3 units), AuCourant (2 units),
Optic Masters (1 unit), Opticians3 (1 unit), Spectacles (1 unit).
Source: VM’s 2014 Top 50 U.S. Optical Retailers. When 2013 sales are the same for more than one company, the retailer with fewer 2013 U.S. stores is ranked first.
1 Includes retailers’ product sales, professional services and managed vision benefit revenues. U.S. sales include Puerto Rico. Not Canada.
2 Vision Source’s first appearance of collective revenue.
3 Sales figures include Nationwide’s fourth quarter revenue after Refac’s acquisition of the Arizona chain’s 64 locations. Proforma sales reflecting 12 months of Nationwide results would be $275.1 million.
45
COVER TOPIC
2013
Rank
2012
Rank
21
23
22
23
Retailer
1
1
2013 Sales
2012 Sales
($ Millions) ($ Millions)
2013
Units
2012
Units
Comments
$45.0
$37.0
43
27
Retail brands: Stanton Optical (34 units), MyEyeLab (9 units).
N
Vision Precision Holdings LLC
(formerly Macarius & Daniel)
Ossip
$44.0*
N
43*
N
Ossip Optometry and Ophthalmology.
22
Eye Care Associates
$43.7
$40.0
27
24
4
4
Acquired by Refac Optical Group, 09/30/13. Reflects 9 months of sales.
24
25
19
24
Nationwide Vision
NuCrown, Inc.
$41.6
$36.9
$53.5
$35.2
64
29
66
27
Retail brand: Crown Vision Center.
26
26
Allegany Optical LLC
$32.5
$30.8
25
25
Retail brands: Allegany Optical (17 units), National Optometry (8 units).
27
25
OptiCare Eye Health
Centers, Inc.
$32.0
$31.5
18
18
Retail brand: OptiCare Eye Health & Vision Centers.
28
29
28
27
Today’s Vision Licensing Corp.
Eye Doctor’s Optical Outlets, PA
$31.7
$27.9
41
40
Locations are independent network affiliates.
$30.2
$28.1
42
42
Retail brand: Optical Outlets.
30
30
SEE
$30.0
$26.0
32
27
31
31
Wisconsin Vision, Inc.
$30.0
$23.0
35
27
Retail brands: Wisconsin Vision (23 units), Heartland Vision (4
units), Eye Boutique (8 units).
32
29
Rx Optical
$29.2*
$27.0*
53
49
Sales revenue from 52 company-owned units, 1 leased department; acquired Smeelink Optical (3 units) in Michigan, Feb.
2013, renamed Rx Optical.
33
34
N
32
Schaeffer Eye Centers
Partners In Vision, Inc.
$26.0*
N
15
N
35
Houston Eye Associates
$17.8
$15.5
70
28
52
24
Operates leased optical departments in MD practices.
35
$24.2
$18.8
36
34
Standard Optical
$17.5
$15.5
19
18
37
33
City Optical Co., Inc.
$16.2*
$17.0*
19
20
Retail brands: Standard Optical (19 units), Opticare of Utah,
Schubach Originals Eyewear.
Retail brands: Dr. Tavel Family Eyecare (17 units), Vision Values (2 units).
38
N
Eye Express
$15.7
N
11
N
Acquired McCoy Vision Center in Clermont, Fla., (1 unit) May
2013 and Weinman Eye Clinic (1 unit) in Fern Park, Fla., December 2013, renamed Eye Express.
39
36
Rosin Eyecare
$15.5*
$15.0*
19
19
Rosin Eyecare (16 units, 4 “centers of excellence” with both ODs
and MDs), 3 university retail optical shops.
40
37
Spex
$15.5*
$15.0*
21
21
41
38
The Hour Glass, Inc.
$13.6
$13.6
12
13
Retail brands: South East Eye Specialist (8 units), The Hour
Glass (2 units), The Hour Glass of Albany (2 units).
42
N
Eyetique
$12.5*
N
15
N
43
40
J.A.K. Enterprises, Inc.
$12.5
$11.7*
20
19
Retail brands: Eyetique (12 units) and 3 Guys Optical (3 units).
Acquired Everett and Hurite (3 units) in Pittsburgh May 2013.
Retail brand: Bard Optical (20 units).
44
39
Horizon Eyecare
$12.0*
$11.7*
6
6
Based in Charlotte, N.C.
45
41
Coco Lunette Holdings, LLC
$11.5
$11.2
11
10
Retail brand: Edward Beiner Purveyor of Fine Eyewear.
46
42
Accurate Optical
$11.2
$11.1
14
14
Retail brands: Accurate Optical (8 units), H. Rubin Vision Centers
(6 units).
47
43
See Center/Group Health
$11.0*
$10.6*
12
12
Retail brand: The See Center.
48
44
Midwest Vision Centers
$10.1
$10.2
20
20
Retail brands: Midwest Vision Centers (19 units) Taft Optical (1 unit).
49
47
Thoma & Sutton Eye-Care
Professionals, LLC
$10.0
$9.9
20
20
Retail brand: Thoma & Sutton.
50
N
Eye Doctors/Eye Surgeons
of Richmond, Inc.
$8.1
N
14
N
Retail brands: Virginia Eye Institute (11 units), Virginia Eye Health
Partners (3 units).
$10,374.6*
$7,977.5 *
TOTAL
5
Acquired The Eye Clinic of Texas (3 units) in Galveston, Texas, Jan. 2013.
5
13,005* 9,939 *
4 Sales figures represent first three quarters of 2013. The fourth quarter’s sales figures are included in Refac’s 2013 revenue.
5 The retailers and totals given for 2013 are different from what appeared on the May 2013 VM Top 50 list because the Top 50 companies differ from year to year due to industry consolidation and other factors.
*=VM estimate. N=not on last year’s list.
46
COVER TOPIC
Snapshots of Optical’s 10 Largest U.S. Retail Players
1
LUXOTTICA RETAIL
Leading the pack again this year, Luxottica
Group’s Luxottica Retail division was the
number one U.S. optical retailer, generating an estimated
$2,336.o million from 2,433 locations in the U.S. and P.R.
Management changes for Luxottica Retail Optical
North America (RONA) over the past year included
executive changes resulting in Nicola Brandolese being
named to head RONA in January 2014. Reporting to
Brandolese are Eric Anderson, president and general
manager of LensCrafters; Pete Bridgman, senior vice
president and general manager of Pearle Vision; Mary
Anne Stangby, senior vice president and general
manager of Sears Optical; Alexis McLaughlin, senior vice
president and general manager of Target Optical, and
Guillaume Bonniol, vice president, RONA strategy.
During 2013, Pearle Vision, one of Luxottica Retail
division’s leading retail brands in the U.S., completed a
rebranding, store redesign and continued pursuing a strategy of converting corporate-owned locations to franchised
“licensed operations.” While all this was set in motion by
the hiring of Srinivas Kumar as Sr. VP and GM at the end
of 2011, he was recently succeeded by Bridgman.
Also in 2013, the LensCrafters U.S. retail division of
Luxottica launched some new technological initiatives
including implementing a wide range of digital tools
to enhance its optical retail operations throughout
the country. This includes rolling out iPads at all of its
stores, a lens simulator and the MyLook in-store virtual
mirror available through iPads and the AccuFit digital
measuring system first introduced in 2011 and available
in all stores.
In early 2014, Luxottica Retail also promoted Carlo
Privitera to head digital innovations including omnichannel initiatives. At the same time, Luxottica acquired
the assets of Glasses.com and its try-on app, which it
said it would also explore bringing to the company’s
wholesale customers.
Starting in early 2014, LensCrafters launched a global
advertising campaign.
2
VISION SOURCE
Vision Source is a franchisor consisting of
approximately 3,500 member optometrists.
These members operate 2,797 locations in all 50
states and the District of Columbia, according to Vision
Source, which said that it is building a foundation on
which to develop further growth in an era of health care
reform. In addition, Vision Source’s supporting infrastructure also includes more than 200 clinical and business
professionals.
With a re-emphasis on its franchising efforts along with
a focus on participating in coordinated care as health
care reform takes hold, in addition to the programs that
Vision Source has afforded member optometrists and
their patients since its formation in 1991, the company
launched an initiative during 2013 to closely align optometry with the clinically integrated systems that are forming
to effectively manage population health in the rapidly
evolving health care landscape. To date, Vision Source
optometrists have become a part of organized collaborative care teams in Arizona, Florida, Missouri and Texas.
The company’s leaders are actively engaged with health
care delivery systems in most major markets.
Other 2013 highlights included founder Glenn D.
Ellisor, OD, transitioning to executive chairman while Jim
Greenwood, who had been named president and COO
at the beginning of 2013, became president/CEO, along
with a series of other executive promotions.
3
WAL-MART STORES
Wal-Mart still remains among the most
prominent players of the Top 50 U.S. Optical Retailers. Independent optometrists operate private
offices next to more than 3,000 Walmart Vision Centers
and Sam’s Club Optical Centers to provide comprehensive eye exams, lens fitting and prescriptions by appointment and on a walk-in basis. In addition, Walmart
and Sam’s Club have on-site opticians in their respective
Vision Centers and Optical Centers to assist with fitting
glasses in store or in club.
Walmart and Sam’s Club began a new online and
telephone contact lens program in early 2013. Walmart
also introduced an Equate private label brand of contact
lenses at that time.
In October of 2013, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced
it would start offering vision benefits to its employees
through VSP Vision Care, giving eligible employees
and their dependents the opportunity to sign up for a
vision plan with coverage starting Jan. 1, 2014. Walmart
Vision Centers and Sam’s Club Optical locations are the
primary eyecare providers for the plan’s participants. If
no Walmart Vision Center or Sam’s Club Optical is within
five miles of an associate’s work location, they may
select a VSP network provider.
4
VISIONWORKS OF AMERICA
Currently operating in 40 states and
the District of Columbia, Visionworks
and its affiliated stores totaled 619 by the end
of 2013. The company successfully completed its
rebrand during 2013 and now has a unified banner in
Visionworks throughout all locations.
Visionworks continued its extensive expansion
efforts in 2013, with special emphasis on the Greater
Philadelphia region, where it opened nine new stores
to bring its market presence to 26 in total, and on
the Greater Indianapolis region, where it opened four
stores with openings to continue in 2014. Visionworks
also expanded in other key markets such as New
York, Florida, Texas and Massachusetts. Continued
new store growth will be part of the Visionworks
strategy for the foreseeable future as an anticipated
40+ stores will be added during 2014.
Visionworks of America, Inc. (formerly Eye Care
Centers of America, Inc.) is a subsidiary of HVHC Inc.,
which also includes Davis Vision. HVHC, Davis and
Visionworks are headquartered in San Antonio, where
Visionworks opened its second distribution and
manufacturing facility in 2013. The 120,000-squarefoot facility will be capable of producing more than
two million pairs of eyeglasses per year once fully
operational.
5 NATIONAL VISION
The big news for National Vision
occurred just after the end of calendar year 2013
when in March of 2014 KKR acquired the U.S. optical
retailer from Berkshire Partners for an undisclosed
amount that is reportedly in excess of $1 billion. After
more than eight years as the private equity owner of
National Vision, Berkshire Partners remains a minority
investor.
In addition to continuing to expand its store
counts, National Vision built a 60,000-square-foot
optical lab in Salt Lake City. While the company will
continue to outsource some of its work to China and
Continued on page 48
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48
COVER TOPIC
Snapshots of Optical’s 10 Largest Retail Players (cont’d)
Continued from page 46
Mexico, National Vision owns labs in Lawrenceville,
Ga., (in the same building as its Retail Support Center), in St. Cloud, Minn., and now in Salt Lake City.
National Vision operates vision centers across the
country in 43 states plus the District of Columbia
and Puerto Rico, including America’s Best Contacts &
Eyeglasses and Eyeglass World freestanding concepts
and vision centers inside Walmart, Fred Meyer and
on U.S. military bases. National Vision also sells its
products directly to consumers through 25 consumerfacing websites, including ACLens.com and DiscountContactLenses.com.
6 COSTCO WHOLESALE
With 440 of its 454 Costco Wholesale
locations in the U.S. operating Costco Optical vision
centers, the company generated $757 million in revenue during calendar year 2013. During 2013, Costco
signed agreements to join managed vision care
companies Superior Vision and Davis Vision’s eyecare
provider networks. Members were able to visit Costco
Optical locations for their benefits beginning early
2014. Costco also partnered with New Eyes for the
Needy and created an eyeglass donation program in
all Costco warehouses. In addition, Costco Optical
also introduced its new Kirkland Signature HD Digital
Progressive Lens. Costco Optical’s optical locations
nationwide provide frames, prescription lenses, contact lenses and a variety of lens options. For comprehensive eye exams, most have an independent doctor
of optometry in or near the optical department.
7
REFAC OPTICAL GROUP
Through acquisitions and organic
growth, Refac Optical Group’s sales
increased almost 10 percent from $216.2 million to
$236.9 million. In the fourth quarter of 2013, the seventh largest U.S. optical retailer moved into another
sector of the market with the acquisition of Nationwide Vision’s 64 locations in Arizona.
Nationwide Optical Group, as the acquired group
will be known, will operate as a freestanding division.
Because the acquisition was made at the end of the
third quarter, the Top 50 chart lists Nationwide and
Refac separately, applying the first three quarters of
revenue to Nationwide and the last quarter of revenue to Refac. Proforma sales reflecting 12 months of
Nationwide results would be $275.1 million.
Al Bernstein, who previously ran Nationwide Vision, the largest vision care provider in Arizona, will
assume the role of president and CEO, Nationwide
Optical Group. Refac’s strategy for its U.S. Vision division is to continue to organically grow its host optical
brands by adding new stores to existing hosts and
pursuing new host relationships. Bernstein and his
management team will lead the expansion of Refac’s
freestanding strategy in Arizona through Nationwide
openings and working together with Refac CEO David
Pierson and the Refac team to pursue other acquisitions in the freestanding category.
U.S. Vision currently operates optical departments
within JCPenney, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Meijer, Sears,
Boscov’s, Hudson’s Bay (35 locations in Canada),
Macy’s and Belk. Recently, U.S. Vision began a pilot
program with Belk Stores with two locations and has
begun an aggressive expansion in Meijer Stores. In
April 2014 Meijer announced that it had selected U.S.
Vision as its exclusive vision center operator in its
stores moving forward. The U.S. Vision host business
continues under the direction of George Gorman,
president, who has been with U.S. Vision for 17 years.
8
FOR EYES/
9 INSIGHT OPTICAL MFG.
For Eyes opened four new locations in 2013, with
that expansion happening in existing markets like
Florida and Chicago-land. Additional expansion plans
for existing markets, including Boston, Philadelphia,
Washington D.C., Florida and Illinois, are in the
works, and the company is also considering new
markets in Northern New Jersey, New York and the
Midwest for future growth.
For Eyes’ marketing is a mix of broadcast and
online, with a strong focus on bricks and clicks for
customer convenience and millennial engagement.
Successful online campaigns, combined with a new
web initiative, have yielded new customer acquisition
and increased traffic to stores and websites operated
by For Eyes. Customer retention remains high. A new
merchandising and product mix roll-out have proven
successful in reaching corporate goals and delivering
on the company’s brand promise of delivering the
highest level of customer service at the most affordable prices for consumers, executives said. For Eyes is
still independent and privately owned and operated
by the same family and friends who started the company in Philadelphia in 1972. The company continues
to operate its own lab in Hialeah, Fla.
EYEMART EXPRESS
The year 2013 marked Eyemart Express’
23rd year achieving the vision of Doug
Barnes, OD, to provide value, quality and service to its
customers. The company, which started in Appleton,
Wis., in 1990, now stretches from Maine to Alaska with
150 stores in 32 states under the Eyemart Express,
VisionMart Express, Vision4Less and the Eyewear
Express names. The year 2013 was spent further
strengthening the field structure required to serve
customers in a coast-to-coast operation. The company
added veteran talent and promoted from within to
ensure that the consumer receives consistently high
quality service in each of the locations. Additional
changes included the initiation of a paperless pointof-sale system and an overhaul of retail training to
improve transaction speed and customer experience
in the stores.
10
COHEN’S FASHION OPTICAL
Among the first U.S. optical retailers, Cohen’s Fashion Optical began
85 years ago as a pushcart among New York’s
famous Orchard Street merchants. Cohen’s Fashion
Optical has grown to 126 franchised stores in
2013, generating revenue of $150.4 million for the
calendar year.
Cohen’s Fashion Optical continues its growth
strategy this year. With a substantial update to
their national marketing strategy, including digital,
social media, and an emphasis on the customer
experience, Cohen’s is rapidly improving its already
successful model. A new website is also under
development. Cohen’s continues to have its eye on
franchise expansion. n
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50
COVER TOPIC
Mass Merchants, Clubs Account for One-Quarter of U.S. Top 50’s Sales
NEW YORK—With the addition of an estimated 72
optical locations, sales by leading mass merchandising
chains and warehouse clubs grew by an estimated 4.5
percent from an estimated $2,551.4 million in 2012 to
an estimated $2,665.7 million in 2013. However, their
share of the overall Top 50 U.S. Optical Retail sales
fell from an estimated 31.6 percent in 2012 to an estimated 25.7 percent in 2013. Much of this drop is due
to Vision Source entering the main VM Top 50 chart
with an estimated $1,969.0 million in sales. The combined number of in-store vision centers in mass merchandising chains and warehouse clubs grew an estimated 1.6 percent from an estimated 4,494 locations
in 2012 to an estimated 4,566 locations in 2013.
Number one Wal-Mart Stores, with almost double
the retail sales revenue of number two mass merchant Costco, firmly held its position with an esti-
mated 2,884 optical locations generating an estimated
$1,499.0 million in sales for 2013. That’s up 2 percent
from the $1,469.0 million that was generated by 2,837
Walmart Vision Centers in 2012. That total for
Walmart’s vision business includes the estimated
$1,328.5 million in sales from Walmart’s own optical
departments plus the estimated $170.5 million from
those operated by National Vision.
With approximately half the sales revenue of
Walmart, Costco remains well ahead of Sam’s Club in
the number three mass merchants/clubs’ spot and
the others that round out the chart—Shopko, Target,
BJ’s and Fred Meyer.
Highlights during 2013 from some of the leading
mass merchandising chains and warehouse clubs are
as follows:
Walmart and Sam’s Club began a new online and
telephone contact lens program in early 2013 when
they parted ways with 1-800 CONTACTS. Walmart
also introduced an Equate private label brand of contact lenses at that time.
Costco signed an agreement to join managed
vision care company Superior Vision’s eyecare provider network, introduced its new Kirkland Signature
HD Digital Progressive Lens, partnered with New
Eyes for the Needy and created an eyeglass donation
program in all Costco warehouses.
National Vision, which operates Vista Optical locations in select Fred Meyer stores along with Walmart
optical leased locations, was acquired at the end of
the first quarter of 2014 by KKR from Berkshire Partners for an undisclosed amount that is reportedly in
excess of $1 billion. n
jsailer@jobson.com
Leading Mass Merchants, Clubs With Optical Departments
Rank
2013
Rank
2012
Mass Merchant
2013 Retail Sales
($ in Millions)
2013
1
Units
Class
(Operator)
1
1
Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores
National Vision
$1,499.0*
$1,328.5*
$170.5*
2,884*
2,657*
227
2
2
Costco Wholesale
$757.0
3
3
Sam’s Club
Wal-Mart Stores
4
4
5
($ in Millions)
2012
1
Units
MM
$1,469.0*
$1,305.0*
$164.0*
2,837*
2,610*
227
440
WC
$696.0
437
$147.5*
545*
WC
$145.8*
539*
Shopko Stores
$91.0*
143
MM
$90.0*
139
5
Target/Super Target
Luxottica Retail
$78.7*
335
MM
$76.0*
331
6
6
BJ’s Wholesale
Refac Optical Group
$82.5
188
WC
$65.0*
180
7
7
Fred Meyer
National Vision
$10.0*
31
MM
$9.6*
31
$2,665.7*
4,566*
$2,551.4*
4,494*
Totals
Source: VM’s 2014 Top 50 Optical Retailers
*=VM Estimate MM=Mass merchant WC=Warehouse club
M AY 1 9 , 2 0 1 4 2012 Retail Sales
1 Optical locations
For a detailed look at how VM’s Top 50 list was created,
go to the Methodology Box on VisionMonday.com.
52
COVER TOPIC
Top 10 Account For 28.6 Percent of U.S. Optical Industry Sales in 2013
Continued from page 43
Vision Source, which entered the chart at position
number two with an estimated $1,969.0 million in
sales. Vision Source, fueled by private equity and a
new management structure, is asserting its role in
the U.S. market as a franchisor and for the first time
has quantified its collective revenues among its
members.
Despite some of these changes, the Top 10
remains mostly intact. LensCrafters remains number
one with estimated sales of $2,336.0 million from its
retail operations in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Walmart
remains a formidable competitor at number three,
followed by Visionworks, now a national brand, at
number four and National Vision at number five.
Rounding out the Top 10 are Costco Wholesale at
number six, Refac Optical Group at seven, Eyemart
Express growing quickly at the number eight spot,
For Eyes/Insight Optical Mfg. at number nine, and
Cohen’s Fashion Optical at number 10.
New entrants to the Top 50 list include Schaeffer Eye Center, Eye Express, and Eyetique.
Other than the Top 10 U.S. Optical Retailers,
whose 2013 activity is profiled in their Snapshots on
pages 46 - 48, here are 2013 highlights for some of the
other Top 50 U.S. Optical Retailers:
American Optical Services (#11) continued its
expansion strategy by acquiring locations throughout
the country, increasing from 97 locations in 2012 to
104 locations generating $110.9 million in 2013.
Texas State Optical (#12) adopted a new management structure that will see outgoing president John
Marvin succeeded by someone who is yet to be
determined by the member-owned cooperative’s current search efforts.
Fueled by private equity capital from Boston-
based Monitor Clipper Partners in December 2012,
MyEyeDr (#13) pursued major expansion through
acquisition in 2013, increasing from 41 to 64 locations
and generating revenue of $104.0 million, up nearly
40 percent from $75 million in 2012.
Luxury Optical Holdings (#20) acquired Opticians3 (one location) in Boston and Leonard Opticians (three locations) in New York during calendar
year 2013, bringing the company’s total number of
locations to 49, generating revenue of $53.4 million.
Vision Precision Holdings LLC, formerly Macarius & Daniel, (#21) continued its expansive organic
growth, increasing the number of locations for its two
brands, Stanton Optical and MyEyeLab, from 27
locations in 2012 to 43 in 2013, with plans to open 10
to 15 new Stanton Optical stores every year along
with six or more MyEyeLab stores. n
jsailer@jobson.com
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